Online IT Project Management Graduate Certificate
The online Graduate Certificate in IT Project Management is particularly valuable for project managers, systems analysts, designers, programmers, research managers, and others engaged in the administration of technical projects. Students are informed of new and improved IT project management tools and techniques used in today’s competitive market, where only the best IT project managers will succeed in completing assignments in a timely, cost-effective, and quality-conscious manner.
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in IT Project Management will be able to demonstrate:
- Advanced knowledge of the following project management process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing; knowledge of agile software development practices, and planning and governance of large projects.
- Proficiency in all basic project management tools and software techniques, including software architecture, project communications, risk analysis, cost estimation and budgeting, and quality control; proficiency in planning and developing a comprehensive project plan and software development life cycle.
- Competence sufficient to architect, design, and implement software systems.
Awards & Accreditations
Newsweek magazine ranked Boston University’s online programs #4 in the nation in its 2023 survey.
Why Choose BU’s Graduate Certificate in IT Project Management?
- Four-course certificate program comprises courses shared by the MS in Computer Information Systems, ranked #10 among the nation’s Best Online Master's in Computer Information Technology Programs (U.S. News & World Report 2025).
- Students benefit from a supportive online network, with courses developed and taught by PhD-level full-time faculty and professionals with hands-on expertise in the industry.
- Small course sections ensure that students get the attention they need, while case studies and real-world projects ensure that they gain in-depth, practical experience with the latest technologies.
Watch Vijay Kanabar, PMP®, associate professor of computer science and director of project management programs, discuss graduate programs in Computer Science & Information Technology offered by Boston University’s Metropolitan College
Career Outlook
Computer and Information Systems Managers
10% increase in jobs through 2029
$146,360 median annual pay in 2019
Computer and Information Research Scientists
15% increase in jobs through 2029
$122,840 median annual pay in 2019
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
4% increase in jobs through 2029
$83,510 median annual pay in 2019
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020
Best Technology Jobs, 2025 U.S. News & World Report
- #1 IT Manager
- #2 Software Developer
- #3 Information Security Analyst
- #4 Data Scientist
- #5 Actuary
- #6 Computer Network Architect
- #7 Operations Research Analyst
- #8 Computer Systems Analyst
- #9 Statistician
- #10 Web Developer
- #11 Database Administrator
- #12 Computer Support Specialist
- #13 Mathematician
- #14 Computer Systems Administrator
- #15 Computer Programmer
Industry Trends
The U.S. demand for project practitioners is expanding by more than 12 percent, resulting in almost 6.2 million jobs in 2020.
PMI® Talent Gap Report
Tuition & Financial Assistance
Money Matters
Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) offers competitive tuition rates that meet the needs of part-time students seeking an affordable education. These rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education. To learn more about current tuition rates, visit the MET website.
Financial Assistance
Comprehensive financial assistance services are available at MET, including scholarships, graduate loans, and payment plans. There is no cost to apply for financial assistance, and you may qualify for a student loan regardless of your income. Learn more.
Curriculum
Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in IT Project Management consists of four required online courses (16 credits).
Credits earned from this online certificate may be applied toward the Master of Science in Computer Information Systems, which is accredited by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC).
Students in this program are eligible to take a PMP® preparation course for free—an important step toward certification as a Project Management Professionals.
Courses
(Four courses/16 credits)
METCS632 Information Technology Project Management
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the principles, processes, and practices of software project management. Students learn techniques for planning, organizing, scheduling, and controlling software projects. There is substantial focus on software cost estimation and software risk management. Students will obtain practical project management skills and competencies related to the definition of a software project, establishment of project communications, managing project changes, and managing distributed software teams and projects. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration. [4 credits]
METCS632S Information Technology Project Management
A comprehensive overview of the principles, processes, and practices of software project management. Students learn techniques for planning, organizing, scheduling, and controlling software projects. There is substantial focus on software cost estimation and software risk management. Students obtain practical project management skills and competencies related to the definition of a software project, establishment of project communications, managing project changes, and managing distributed software teams and projects. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration. [4 credits]
METCS633 Software Quality, Testing, and Security Management
Theory and practice of security and quality assurance and testing for each step of the software development cycle. Verification vs. validation. Test case design techniques, test coverage criteria, security development and verification practices, and tools for static and dynamic analysis. Standards. Test-driven development. QA for maintenance and legacy applications. From a project management knowledge perspective, this course covers the methods, tools and techniques associated with the following processes -- Plan Quality, Perform Quality Assurance, and Perform Quality Control. [4 credits]
SFTW QUAL MGMT [4 credits]
METCS633S Distributed Software Development and Management
Many of today's software systems are developed by geographically distributed teams. The course examines software engineering in this context, from the project and program management perspective. The term project consists of in-process submissions that are thoroughly reviewed, including among peers, together with a working system prototype. No programming background is required. Prereq: MET CS 520 or MET CS 521, and MET CS 682. Or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
METCS634 Agile Software Development
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the principles, processes, and practices of agile software development. Students learn techniques for initiating, planning and executing on software development projects using agile methodologies. Students will obtain practical knowledge of agile development frameworks and be able to distinguish between agile and traditional project management methodologies. Students will learn how to apply agile tools and techniques in the software development lifecycle from project ideation to deployment, including establishing an agile team environment, roles and responsibilities, communication and reporting methods, and embracing change. We also leverage the guidelines outlined by the Project Management Institute for agile project development as a framework in this course. [4 credits]
METCS634B AGILE SFTWR DEV
AGILE SFTWR DEV [4 credits]
METCS634S Agile Software Development
A comprehensive overview of the principles, processes, and practices of Agile software development. Students learn techniques for initiating, planning, and executing software development projects using Agile methodologies. Students obtain practical knowledge of Agile development frameworks and distinguish between Agile and traditional project management methodologies. Students learn how to apply Agile tools and techniques in the software development lifecycle from project ideation to deployment, including establishing an Agile team environment, roles and responsibilities, communication and reporting methods, and embracing change. Also leverages the guidelines outlined by the Project Management Institute for Agile project development as a framework. [4 credits]
METCS783 Enterprise Architecture
Graduate Prerequisites: (METCS682) or strategic IT experience or instructor's consent - This course builds upon the strong technical foundation of our MSCIS and MSCS curricula, by providing students with the CIO-level management perspective and skills of an enterprise architect, in the context of the technologies that implement those architectures. Current technologies and processes explored in the enterprise architecture context include blockchain, microservices, multimodal/analytic databases, DevOps, SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), containers/Docker, and some leverage of AI techniques. We cover both the migration of legacy enterprise systems and de novo enterprise architecture development, vendor selection and management, cybersecurity in the enterprise, and complex system integration. Enterprise architecture decisions are presented in the context of the business goals and alignment that are critical for success, given globalization and the reality that "all companies are now technology companies." The course content is rich with case studies that illustrate practical application of enterprise architecture approaches and lessons learned. The course also includes a number of realistic enterprise architecture assignments and an incremental term project with components spanning the course, to provide students with hands on enterprise architecture experience. Students develop the understanding and skills needed to define and implement successful enterprise architectures that provide real strategic and concrete value to organizations, such as substantially reducing IT costs while improving performance, agility and alignment of information technology to business goals. On-campus classrooms follow a "flipped classroom" format, where significant class time is devoted to in-class group workshops. Prereq: MET CS 682. Or strategic IT experience. Or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
Admission & Prerequisite Information
Admissions
Visit the Metropolitan College Graduate application page to learn more and apply.
Prerequisites
Applicants are not required to have a degree in computer science for entry to a program within the Department of Computer Science. Upon review of your application, the department will determine if the completion of prerequisite coursework will be required, based on your academic and professional background.
A maximum of two graduate-level courses (8 credits) taken at Metropolitan College before acceptance into the program may be applied towards the certificate.
Eric Braude
Associate Professor and Director of Digital Learning, Computer Science
PhD, Columbia University; MS, University of Miami; MS, University of Illinois; BS, University of Natal (South Africa)
Lou Chitkushev
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs; Associate Professor, Computer Science; Director, Health Informatics and Health Sciences
PhD, Boston University; MS, Medical College of Virginia; MS, BS, University of Belgrade
John Day
Lecturer, Computer Science
MSEE, BSEE, University of Illinois
View all Faculty

Stu Jacobs
Lecturer, Computer Science
MS, Southern Connecticut State University; BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Suresh Kalathur
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Director, Analytics
PhD, Brandeis University; MS, Indian Institute of Technology; BS, Regional Engineering College (Warangal, India)
Vijay Kanabar, PMP
Associate Professor, Computer Science and Administrative Sciences; Director, Project Management
PhD, University of Manitoba (Canada); MS, Florida Institute of Technology; MBA, Webber College; BS, University of Madras (India)
Jae Young Lee
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Coordinator, Databases
PhD, MS, University of Texas at Arlington; BS, Seoul National University (Korea)
Robert Schudy
Associate Professor, Computer Science
PhD, MS, University of Rochester; BA, University of California San Diego
Victor Shtern
Associate Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
PhD, Leningrad Aluminum Institute (Russia); MS, Leningrad Institute of Technology; MBA, Boston University
Anatoly Temkin
Assistant Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
PhD, Kazan University (Russia); MS, Moscow University
Guanglan Zhang
Associate Professor and Chair, Computer Science; Coordinator, Health Informatics
PhD, MEng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; BS, Luoyang Institute of Technology
Yuting Zhang
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Coordinator, Information Security
PhD, Boston University; MS, BS University of Science and Technology Beijing
Tanya Zlateva
Dean, Metropolitan College; Professor of the Practice, Computer Science and Education; Director, Information Security
PhD, Dresden University of Technology (Germany); MS, Dresden University of Technology; BS, Dresden University of Technology
Getting Started
To learn more or to contact an enrollment advisor before you get started, request information using the button below and tell us a little about yourself. Someone will be in touch to answer any questions you may have about the program and detail the next steps in earning your degree. You can also start your application or register for a course at Metropolitan College.